Brouilly is an appellation for red wines produced from Vineyards in north-central Beaujolais. The lower slopes of Mont Brouilly and the surrounding countryside contain large plantings of the Gamay Grape. The wines produced here are relatively robust and Full-bodied, in contrast to the light, fresh wines of Beaujolais Nouveau. The wines are fruitier than many of the other Beaujolais crus, with plum and berry flavors overpowering the traditional Floral">floralCharacter of Gamay.
The appellation was officially delimited along with most other Beaujolais crus in the 1930s. While the appellation applies only to red wines, the white varieties Chardonnay, Aligoté and Melon de Bourgogne can account for 15% of the vineyard area. They are also authorised as a minor component of the blend in Brouilly wines. The Brouilly wine area covers six communes around Mont Brouilly, none of which bears the name Brouilly, which is unusual for a Beaujolais cru.
Gamay is a Burgundian grape variety that has existed since the 14th century. For fear of competition with the pinot noir of Burgundy, gamay was finally uprooted and planted in the Beaujolais region, from Mâcon to Lyon. These siliceous and granitic soils suit it perfectly, and it gives its best here. But it is also planted all over France, such as in Lorraine, in the Loire Valley, in Bugey, in Savoie and in Auvergne. Gamay is early and very productive and needs to be limited so that quality prevails over quantity. Short winter pruning of the shoots and high density of vines per hectare are the methods that allow it to produce very fruity, fresh and greedy red wines. Gamay is also very popular in red wine futures, and produces wines from the Beaujolais region with very interesting character and ageing potential. The AOCs Crémant-de-Bourgogne, Mâcon, Anjou, Touraine, Rosé de vallée de la Loire, Côtes-d'Auvergne, Saint-Pourçain, Bugey, Gaillac, Côtes du Luberon... and many vins de pays are proud of it. Today, about 36,000 hectares of Gamay are cultivated in France, including 22,000 hectares in Beaujolais.
red wines from the region of Brouilly go well with generally quite well with dishes of pasta, veal or pork such as recipes of fish with tamarind, festive chinese fondue or very simple spaghetti carbonara.
